


I Remember

by ouranose



Series: Trope Challenge [16]
Category: Captive Prince - C. S. Pacat
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Business AU, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Damen works for his family's company, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Grieving Laurent, Hurt/Comfort, Laurent is applying for a job, Laurent remembers, M/M, Modern AU, Nicaise is dead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-24 16:35:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21621067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ouranose/pseuds/ouranose
Summary: Trope #22 of 30, per the list seen on Twitter in a series of tweets by @ selpukuPrompt:  modern-fantasy AU: ‘we were lovers in past lives but now we’re reborn in modern era and only one of us remembers our past lives’Before: Laurent is grieving over the death of Nicaise, and Damen comforts him because he's the only person that knows how to.After: Laurent is interviewing for a job at one of the largest companies along the Eastern coast. When he sets up the video interview, he is faced with a man who he'd known intimately in a past life.
Relationships: Damen/Laurent (Captive Prince)
Series: Trope Challenge [16]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1534436
Comments: 5
Kudos: 63





	1. Before

_“I’m a monster.” Laurent was silhouetted against the indigo and violet-colored sky. In the distance, waves were crashing against rocks, and men shouting in the way they tend to during an evening practice. His shoulders were tense, but straight as if he was trying to make himself look as little as possible while trying to maintain the facade of a man who is in control._

_“No, you’re not,” Damen said. He was somewhere in the dark room - Laurent had turned the lamps low; it was better for him to be surrounded by shadows when he was in such a stormy mood. He could hear Damen’s sandaled feet stepping closer towards him, could sense the proximity between them even without seeing him. “You made the best decisions you could’ve made.”_

_These were not the words that Laurent wanted to hear._

_He could feel himself becoming colder, the walls surrounding his vulnerability closing off brick by brick. “Foolish decisions. Cowardly ones. I let a child die for me.” The words were venom, but they were still lacking. Damen was behind him then, warmth rolling off of his body in waves. It took everything for Laurent to suppress an uncomfortable shiver. Being like this... was difficult._

_“You can’t take responsibility for the actions of a bitter old man.” Damen’s voice was firm; there was no room for doubt in it. It felt like a punch to Laurent. He turned then, away from the ocean and the courtyard. Although his face was now masked in shadows, it wasn’t hard to sense the anguish. Damen wondered how much of a toll it took on Laurent to allow him to see this much._

_“He was just a child,” Laurent said, weakly. Damen knew that what Laurent needed now was just the comfort of knowing that he wasn’t alone. He didn’t push in closer, he didn’t say anything further. Sometimes all it takes to feel whole again is letting the words go. “He didn’t know what he was getting himself into - he died for what - pride?” Laurent shook his head infinitesimally, such a small movement that had Damen’s full attention not been on him, he would’ve missed it._

_Even if Damen had had anything to say, he wouldn’t have let the words out. Laurent took a deep breath, trying to regain control over himself. Cicadas chirped from somewhere below; the breeze smelled like summer in Ios - gardenias, the sea and wet grass. His frame was a study in tension - straight lines and taut muscle under the layers of clothes and laces. He said, “He thought he was safe - he thought my uncle… He thought he was untouchable.” Damen’s mouth was turned down at the corners._

_After a moment, Laurent closed the gap. His arms hung limply at his sides, but Damen knew what he was asking for. Lifting his arms and wrapping them around Laurent’s shoulders, he pulled him in close. He was stiff, and had he not been the initiate, Damen would have felt as if he was doing it against his will. But when Laurent finally leaned into it, he let out a shaky breath. “The Regent killed him,” he whispered, “to make an example.” He emphasized the_ who _, to really hammer the point in._

_“If I wouldn’t have shown interest -” Laurent’s voice was muffled against Damen’s chest._

_“Then he would have found some other way to hurt you.”_

_They stayed like that for a while. It was a rare occurrence, Damen knew, for Laurent to allow this kind of intimacy. He relished in the thought of what this kind of trust meant - for himself, and Laurent. With a shift of his head, Damen let his lips brush against the top of Laurent’s blond head._

_“I just-,” Laurent didn’t finish the whispered sentence. He didn’t have to._

_“I know,” Damen said. Laurent drew him in closer then, his arms wrapping around Damen’s waist._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://ouranose.tumblr.com) | [twitter](http://twitter.com/_allidavis)


	2. After

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I may or may not have panicked when I had to come up with a name for the Office Manager, Nik was the obvious choice, but I had no idea what last name to go with? Also - BIG shout out to [Alixx Black](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlixxBlack/pseuds/AlixxBlack) for helping me figure out what the logistics for this kind of interview and company would be and saving me from sounding like I've never had an important interview in my entire life.

Laurent was sitting at the desk in his study, the afternoon light filtering through the blinds over the window. His computer was booted up, and he was waiting for the screen to announce the arrival of the HR Director from _Ios & Akeilos_. He could see himself on the screen, the reflection looking as poised and elegant as he’d worked so hard to achieve. Blond hair styled back away from his face, blue eyes piercing through thick lashes. His suit was a classic navy, the shirt lavender paired with a burgundy tie. 

It was a good first impression to make. 

There was a clicking then, the sound of a microphone connecting, and Laurent watched as the camera for the man interviewing him today connected. The man was looking at his camera, his brows furrowed and his mouth twisted in a complicated line. A dimple pushed into his right cheek. As his eyes focused back on his monitor, he offered Laurent a small smile, and said, “Sorry about the wait Mr. de Vere. I was having a bit of trouble connecting.”

It took Laurent a moment to answer. Not because he was nervous, although he was, and not because he had to think hard about what he should say, he would be able to charm the president in his sleep. No, his pause was the direct result of something deep within him shifting. Like the rough sound of stone scraping stone as you open a sarcophagus of old or the unclogging of a drain, Laurent realized with a gnawing horror that he recognized the man sitting before him. From a time long ago, on the balcony of a Prince’s room. _His_ room. 

“It’s no problem, sir,” Laurent finally said, regaining his bearings after the initial shock left him. Judging from the man’s expression, he didn’t recognize him in the least. There was no hitch in his breathing, no shifting, nothing that would show even a fraction of the discomfort that Laurent had just felt. 

The interview began then, a fast-paced discussion about why exactly Laurent was the perfect candidate for this position. _Could you please tell me about your degree? Why did this field interest you? What aspects of your previous positions have prepared you for this position? What do you think is your greatest strength as an employee? What do you feel our company is best known for? What could we improve on? Do you understand that if this position is offered to you that you will not be able to work for another company in this same field for a minimum of five years due to the nature of your work and the sensitivity of company secrets that you would obtain during your employment?_

The questions were cut and dry - basic things that Laurent had been prepared to answer ahead of time. If he had to gauge the reaction of the man, Damen, then Laurent would confidently say that he’d surpassed whatever had been expected of him. When they’d finished their conversation about the non-compete agreement, the man smiled again, only this time it was a warmer smile. 

“I expect you’ll be hearing from us soon, Mr. de Vere.” 

“Thank you for your time,” Laurent responded with a warm smile of his own. As the call ended, he fell back against his chair and let out a huff of a breath. The anxiety was coming from the memories, he knew. There was _Laurent_ and then there was Laurent. They were two separate entities. 

But the feelings that were now swarming in his chest felt palpable as if he could pull them out one by one and count them in the palm of his hand. They were intense and so bizarre, and he had no idea what to do with them.

A few hours later, he was scrolling through his _Instagram_ , when an email notification popped up at the top of his phone screen. He saw the name and felt his pulse quicken as he opened it. It read as follows: 

From: damena13@mail.ios

To: [ laurentdevere4386@mail.com ](mailto:laurentdevere4386@mail.com)

**Followup**

Good afternoon Mr. de Vere,

I am pleased to inform you that Nik Comis, our office manager at the branch you interviewed for would like to set up a meeting with you in person to further discuss the full details of this position. Below I’ve included his contact information. Thank you again for applying to work for Ios & Akeilos.

Nikandros Comis 

(617) *** - **** 

nikandrosc@mail.ios

_**Damen A.** _

_**Human Resources Director** _

_**Ios & Akeilos** _

_**(617) *** - ****** _

There was almost a sadness that seemed to fill Laurent’s heart at the same time the excitement did. He wouldn’t see much of Damen, which was going to be good for his heart. No worrying over small issues for no reason, no tension spurred on by Laurent’s inability to figure out why he’d suddenly remembered something like this. But it hurt - this letting go of something that felt like it should’ve been so important. There was comfort in closure, but there was also an introspective sort of sadness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [tumblr](http://ouranose.tumblr.com) | [twitter](http://twitter.com/_allidavis)

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](http://ouranose.tumblr.com) | [twitter](http://twitter.com/_allidavis)


End file.
